Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash
It is a painful thing if a technology company cares more about making money than the safety of its users. In the last couple of years, Meta, the tech company formerly known as Facebook, has persistently done exactly that. It has jeopardized the privacy of its users across its social media platforms and has misled them for profit.
One of Meta’s biggest privacy scandals with Cambridge Analytica resulted in the tech company paying a $5 billion settlement in 2020. Part of the settlement agreement was that Meta would rectify its privacy program. But after two years, the Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, Sam Levine, said; “Facebook has repeatedly violated its privacy promises…The company’s recklessness has put young users at risk, and Facebook needs to answer for its failures.”
Meta still allows app developers to access private user information. In the report published May 3, FTC also accused Meta of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule). FTC said it would completely ban Meta from monetizing data from users below 18 years. FTC will also prohibit the social media company from launching new or modified products or services until it is sure that Meta’s privacy program complies with the terms of the 2020 agreement. Meta will also need users’ consent when using facial recognition technology. The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and protect and educate consumers.
